Stuck in reverse

Someone get Bears backup QB Jason Campbell an ice pack

November 19, 2012|RedEye

With two backup quarterbacks starting, Monday night's Bears-49ers game wasn't the showdown people anticipated when the season kicked off. Still, somebody had to win, and the result very well could decide who grabs the top seed in the NFC a few months from now. Here's how the Bears' Jason Campbell and San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick shaped the outcome.

FIRST QUARTER

Campbell: Where have we seen this before? Campbell looked very Cutler-like in getting sacked on his first pass play of the game and completed just one throw in the quarter.

Kaepernick: First drive, he threw three passes for a total of 42 yards, leading to a field goal. Second drive, he connected on a 57-yard bomb on third-and-7, then fired a 3-yard TD pass.

Winner: Uh, Kaepernick, no contest. Not much for Campbell to hang his hat on, unless you give him credit for not throwing an interception. Which we don't.

SCORE: 49ers 10, Bears 0

SECOND QUARTER

Campbell: When he wasn't getting sacked, he was fumbling, throwing an interception, or completing a pass on third-and-11 actually lost yardage. That's what you call the very definition of dreadful.

Kaepernick: His first pass of quarter went for 32 yards. And if it weren't for Randy Moss dropping one on the next play, his numbers would have been even better. The Bears did sack him once, though they couldn't stop him from leading two more scoring drives.

Winner: Yep, still Kaepernick. With 42 seconds left in the half, the Bears had minus-13 yards passing. And that sound you heard was TVs in Chicago turning off.

SCORE: 49ers 20, Bears 0

THIRD QUARTER

Campbell: He gets points for toughness, as he threw a TD pass to Brandon Marshall minutes after being knocked silly. He loses points for throwing yet another interception, near the end of the quarter.

Kaepernick: He got some help from the Bears defense, which couldn't corral him or his receivers. Not that they needed it.

Winner: Do you even have to ask? Even though Campbell looked borderline effective at times, Kaepernick and the Niners were still on a roll.

SCORE: 49ers 27, Bears 7

FOURTH QUARTER

Campbell: Basically, he just retreated into a fetal position all quarter—mostly because the San Francisco defense chased him relentlessly. The last straw was his fumble in the end zone early in the quarter, which ultimately resulted in a safety.

Kaepernick: It's hard to look bad when you're basically handing the ball off the rest of the game.

Winner: Let's see, Kapernick finished 16-of-23 for 243 yards and a touchdown, while Campbell was 14-of-22 for 107 yards, a TD and two interceptions. The only question is whether the Bears' offensive line mysteriously missed the flight out of San Francisco.